


Knowing My Fate

by YouHateInvisiblePie



Series: Inspired by music [6]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Fluff, M/M, dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 21:50:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10930719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouHateInvisiblePie/pseuds/YouHateInvisiblePie
Summary: Miscomunication in Night Vale's new town language.Cecil could hardly believe it. Cheryl's Little Princess Dance Studio finally got the bill passed. Dance was now the official town language of Night Vale.





	Knowing My Fate

Cecil sat at his desk as the weather played, absentmindedly feeding the owls. The bill had passed. He could hardly believe it when he announced it moments before during the broadcast. Cheryl's Little Princess Dance Studio and it's lobbyists finally got the bill passed. Dance was now the official town language of Night Vale.

Cecil wasn't concerned for himself. He was confident in his own dancing skills. Sure it might complicate things if he ever had to do his show in the new official language, but he would figure something out if it came to that.

No, what Cecil was worried, no, not worried, concerned about was his lovely scientist boyfriend, Carlos. Carlos couldn't dance. Technically he could, as everyone who moves to music can dance, but he had never taken a lesson a day in his life. Much like ninety percent of the town Cecil reminded himself.

Well, he was going to have to learn now.

"So what is the official town language used for specifically?" Carlos asked that evening over dinner. "Also, English hasn't been outlawed, has it? Because keeping track of all the experiments at the lab is difficult enough without writing utensils. I don't know how to write up a lab report in dance."

"My sweet Carlos," Cecil chuckled at his misunderstanding interloper, "the official town language is used for important government business, like when speaking to the City Counsel or the mayor. It is not for mundane day to day conversations."

Carlos thought over his years in Night Vale and the number of times he had ever needed to speak with the mayor or anyone else in the government in regards to anything of city-wide importance. The closest thing he came up with was the press conference on the day of his arrival in the scientifically interesting desert comunity.

"What about informing you and your listeners about important scientific discoveries?"

"Oh bunny you flatter me. I'm not important enough to require being spoken to in the official town language. I'm just a simple radio host."

"You are more important than that, you are the voice of this town. You warn your listeners about danger, and helped unite the town against Strex Corp. Plus you relay statements from the City Counsel, the mayor herself, and when Pamela Winchell does those emergency press conferences. Scientifically speaking, that is all pretty important."

"You could just ask me to dance instead of hunting for excuses to," Cecil teased.

Carlos blushed and mumbled something under his breath that that Cecil didn't quite catch.  
  
"What was that my perfectly imperfect scientist?"

"Assuming that it is required for everyone to know the town language... I mean it seems probable with what I've observed of this town over the years. Any place that legally mandates the eating of pizza... it's required to know how to dance now, isn't it?"

"Yes, or else what would happen if you needed to speak to the mayor?"

"Mayor Cardinal speaks English," Carlos pointed out.

"But official business needs to be done in the official language," Cecil countered.

"So the entire population needs to take dance lessons now?"

"It isn't mandatory to take lessons, but City Counsel will test every living entity in town next month."

"And if you don't pass?"

"Well, there is no official punishment, but I heard a rumor that City Counsel intends to make a boquet for Station Management out of the spines of those who fail."

A few days later Carlos brought the subject up again.

"So I've been looking into taking dance lessons."

"Oh? Neat."

"I can't fit it into my schedule."

"Carlos," Cecil said sternly.

"I know that it is important."

"Only if you like your spine."

"Which I do. Spines are scientifically important, and while I haven't personally done much research on the subject, I know enough to be able to say that they may even be necessary for sustaining life. Scientifically speaking of course," Carlos rambled. "But all of the times that the studio has classes are at times of day when science is the most interesting. I have charts to prove it. Graphs too. So I can't take dance lessons," he concluded. "It would be irresponsible to abandon science."

"Well you have to learn somehow."

"I was wondering if perhaps you could teach me?" The scientist asked sheepishly.

Cecil squealed in excitement. "Oh this is going to be so neat! Up, up, up, your first lesson starts now."

So they practiced, and practiced, and practiced. Slowly, Carlos improved, though he lacked Cecil's unwavering confidence.

Far sooner than Carlos would have liked, a month passed and it was the day of the dance test.

In order to help speed things along, each household was tested together. It also proved that the citizens could actually carry on a conversation.

When it was time for the Palmer and scientist household, Carlos was worried, no, not worried, concerned until Cecil took his hand.

"You are going to be just fine," Cecil whispered before giving him a kiss on the cheek and beaming at his scientist boyfriend.

As Carlos smiled back, the concern he felt like mild neausa building in his stomach, lessened.

Then the music started.

It was Abba and Cecil was ecstatic. Immediately the radio host began to dance. Carlos however took a few beats and decided to start a simple conversation considering he had missed what Cecil had just said.

_My my at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender_

Oh, that was the word bunny. Carlos realized, and decided that that was as good a place as any to start.

Hi my honey-voiced honey. How are you today?

**and my love for you grows more each and every day**

Good, just a little nervous still about the dancing.

**Oh yes, what a wonderful first date it was.**

I was thinking about making pasta salad. How does that sounds to you?

**Oh, you always say the sweetest things.**

Sure, but I didn't think they had re-opened the Pinkberry so soon after all of that damage from Valentine's Day.

**I love you too my perfectly imperfect scientist.**

Really? Okay, if you want to we can go to the lab.

Cecil stopped abruptly and stared at Carlos wide-eyed.

 **Did you really mean that?** Cecil looked hesitant for the first time that day, and Carlos did not understand why.

Of course.

"Yes! Of course! Absolutely!"

And suddenly Carlos had an armfull of super affectionate radio host. Not that he minded, he just felt like he had missed something. Important.

City Counsel spun twice in a circle while rubbing their stomach and patting their head, and ended with jazz hands.

Cecil bowed and then practically skipped out of city hall with Carlos in tow.

"What did City Counsel say?"

"That we passed. Of course. Also they congratulated us on our engagement" Cecil squealed the last word. "Oh my gosh it all makes sense now. _That's_ why you were so nervous, because you were planning to propose. Aww Carlos you shouldn't have been worried. How could I ever refuse?"

 _I feel like I win when I lose,_ the following line of the song they had danced to popped into Carlos' head. Oddly appropriate to the situation. While he hadn't been intending to ask for Cecil's hand in marriage, he couldn't be happier that his boyfriend, now fiance, had said yes.

There was a small part of Carlos that wanted to be truthful and tell Cecil that it was a miscomunication, but he couldn't bare the thought of how heartbroken that would make Cecil. Besides, he wanted to marry the fascinating man whom he had slowly grown to love. True, his love might not have been instantaneous, but he did love the radio host whole-heartedly, and taking the next step in their relationship just felt right.

Carlos' time in the little desert town had taught him a lot: time is weird, things are not always what they seem, including science, and death can come at any moment and in unexpected ways, so live. Take what life throws at you and run with it.

Life had given him Cecil Palmer, and Carlos intended to do just that.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song "Waterloo" by Abba


End file.
